“In the cocoa aspect, we met our target of 50 metric tons. As a matter of fact we exceeded what we are supposed to supply,” Mr. Kabba stated. The equivalent of 50 metric tons is two 40ft containers. The government-owned company SLPMC loaded the containers with grade 1 cocoa. Cocoa is used to produce chocolate and cosmetics. Grade I cocoa is normally used to produce chocolate.
Mr. Kabba refers to 2016 as a buying year. The agency wants to buy over 3,000 bags of rice for processing and domestic consumption and the rice will be bought in 3 districts Bombali, Kambia and Port Loko. SLPMC is targeting 1,000 metric tons of cocoa for export. But Mr. Kabba wants to work with the farmers to reach that target as there are many buyers and some of them are paying above the indicative price.
“We want to have a share of the market,” he said.
The indicative price of cocoa increased from Le.9,000 to Le.13,000 per kilo as demand for the produce increased during the crop season. The price of cocoa will increase with growing interest for the product in China and the United States.
TAS, a private company ships well over 1,000 metric tons of cocoa in a year.
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